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LEDs to be installed along a further stretch of the A127

Published Friday, 5th February 2016

A further stretch of the A127 in Southend will soon shine bright with energy-efficient LED street lights.

Streetlighting
contractors will replace the street lights between Kent Elms and Cuckoo Corner
roundabout from Monday for five consecutive nights. In order for the lights to
be replaced, the highways will be reduced to a single lane between 8pm and 4am.

The
work is part of the Council’s £13.5m programme to replace all street lighting
in the Borough. Not only are LED lamps more energy efficient, but they will
also drastically reduce energy and ongoing maintenance costs, meaning that the
Council can keep streets lit at night.

The
remaining section of the A127 between the Borough boundary and Kent Elms will
be upgraded to LEDs before the end of March.

In
November 2014, the Council started replacing the Borough’s 14,000 street
lanterns across its entire estate. But last year, the Council announced that
the £13.5m project would be delivered faster thanks to the Council securing
£5.1m central Government funding and agreeing a further £8.2m bespoke financial
arrangement with the Green Investment Bank. The project was also extended to
include all illuminated street furniture, such as lit signs, and replacing or
refurbishing ageing street lighting columns. A new central management
system (CMS) will also allow the Council to remotely manage its lanterns across
the borough.

Cllr
Martin Terry, Executive Member for Public Protection, Waste & Transport,
said: “Bringing this popular project forward is a win-win situation. The sooner
we replace every lamp in the Borough, the sooner we can save money, reduce
carbon omissions and provide residents and motorists with brighter, cleaner
light.

“Like
all local authorities, we need maintain essential services with reducing
budgets. However, we listened to local people and determined not to plunge our
borough into darkness at night. Instead, we opted to invest in pioneering green
technology that shields residents from an increased fear of crime and poorer
road safety, which are often associated with turning the street lights out.

“We’re
proud to be delivering this exciting project and ask local residents and
road-users to bear with us while we carry out these necessary works.”

The
new low-energy streetlights will more than pay for themselves within their
lifetime through energy savings while generating carbon savings for the Borough.
The LEDs can also provide 100,000 hours of light, compared with just 15,000
hours for standard bulbs.

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